Response to inquiry from Telegraph UK regarding Women’s World Championship in Iran

To clear the record, I am Jewish and I have never supported the Iranian regime. Most of the world, including me, strongly denounce the extremists of all religions. However, we cannot simply punish individuals who are themselves victims of these extremists without carefully learning all the facts and hearing their sides.

What I am asking is for people to take their time and read the opposing views from different female players. We have now heard from some players who qualified for the upcoming Women’s World Championship. One demanded boycott while the other pleaded for the event to go on.

The Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM) has not taken any official position. We are actively talking to female players who qualified for the upcoming Women’s World Championship for their feedback.

WOM was NOT involved in the bidding process, nor were we involved in the process to award the bid. We had no vote. I personally found out about it after the fact. The delegates from 159 countries were in Baku at the General Assembly. They were told of this bid, and it was their place to voice their objections or concerns. None of the 159 delegates representing their countries, including the United States, objected.

Therefore, everyone who questions the decision to award the Women’s World Championship to the Iranian Chess Federation should direct their inquiries to these delegates, including the US which represents Nazi Paikidze who demanded for a boycott.

It is very unfortunate that countless people do not know the facts or details used various social media to attack, demean, insult, and threaten members of WOM when we have absolutely nothing to do with it. Our job is to find out the facts, listen to views and opinions of all parties, then try to come up with what is best for women’s chess worldwide. We simply cannot take a rushed judgement without looking at the whole picture, especially when this can potentially harm many female chess players.

I was recently asked by the Telegraph in the UK about the upcoming Women’s World Championship being in Iran and women wearing head scarf (hijab) during competition. Below is my general response. I never once said I supported Iran, accept the event location, or asked any woman to do anything against their beliefs. The Telegraph took what I said and added things I never said. Unfortunately, many other media simply copied and paste the lies and it became an Avalanche of misinformation. This, for example, is a complete fabrication by the Telegraph:

“Fide’s Commission for Women’s Chess, meanwhile, called on participants to respect “cultural differences” and accept the regulations.”

I demand a retraction from the Telegraph for their misinformation, distortion, and apologize to everyone at the Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM).

“This is my personal opinion. I have traveled to nearly 60 countries. When I visited different places with different cultures, I like to show my respect by dressing up in their traditional style of clothing (enclosed are a few examples of my trips to India, Vietnam and Azerbaijan, etc.). No one asked me to do it. I just do it out of respect. {I clearly never said anything about Iran}

I personally would have no issues with wearing a head scarf (hijab) as long as it is the same to all players {it means if everyone agrees to do it then I have no problem with it. I never said that all women should or must wear it}. I believe the organizers provided beautiful choices for past participants of Women’s Grand Prix. I cannot speak on behalf of others but from my personal conversations with various players in the past year, they had no real issues with it {This is not my opinion. This is simply the fact from speaking to other women who played at the Women’s Grand Prix which was held in Iran earlier this year}.

If any player has a problem with it, she can and should voice her opinion to WOM (Commission for Women’s Chess) or FIDE and we can address it in our next meeting.” {And here I clearly encouraged women to speak up if they have a problem with it. I want them to speak up if they are against it and I never asked them to be silenced.}

Again, total shame on the Telegraph to lie about my position as well as WOM.

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For an organization that allows women to excel and compete on a global level it is beyond absurd to subject your members to the degradation of the Iranian laws.
Iran practices gender apartheid. In Iran if your scarf is not on properly you can be beaten, arrested, and sentenced to whipping and imprisonment.
In Iran it is now illegal for women to ride bicycles in public.

You are imposing endless shame on your organization by taking a global coherent of truly amazing women into this medieval state.

No woman should be subject to compulsory hijab. That head covering is mandatory because women are viewed as dirty, sexual temptations. Men have no obligation to control themselves.

Please do not take your organization of brilliant women chess players to Iran. This is not about “culture” and “respect for another culture”. It is about legally imposed gender apartheid.

Consider: was the separation of Blacks from Whites in South Africa a “culture” that should be respected? The world decided NO, and so apartheid fell.

This is the same type of situation, boycott Iran. Brilliant women should only compete in states that respect women and allow them their human rights.

You can have your opinion. But keep in mind that Susan and WOM have no say in this matter. So let’s separate the parties. Neither Susan or WOM endorsed or approved it. They were simply not even consulted.

Great article. Much appreciated un-biased writing. Susan sounds much like a world traveler who is accepting of other people, and cultures.

I myself am a half Persian, half British/Danish U.S. born citizen who also believes that all women should have the right to choose what they like. However I also believe that countries should be allowed to make their own rules. If all the countries in the world followed the same code of conduct, then would we be really living in a country? Or would we more or less be living in a globalized controlled world, where any differences in rule are frowned upon.

To be clear, we are extremely happy Americans. The rules and laws here are what we like and abide by. However, to act as if in America there is not a double-standard when it comes to women is ridiculous. My girlfriend used to choose to model in New York City before becoming an artist. At one event, the rules for the models were to dress as skimpy and sexual as possible, and just stand on stage while the men and other powerful women presented for the charity. Charity!

I have a wonderful girlfriend. This was the last day she modeled. In fact out of feeling disgust for the rules and regulations that they were under contract for, she decided to put her clothes on in front of everyone, and walk out.

This is much like what anyone can do at any time anywhere in the world. You don’t like the laws? Then leave. She chose the profession of modeling then. However since she did not abide by the rules, and wouldn’t do it any longer. She chose a different career path.

The goal of any human being is to stop spreading hate to other human beings and cultures, and to be more understanding. How can we be doing that, if we are returning the favor so-to-speak in a passive aggressive manner.

“I have traveled to nearly 60 countries. When I visited different places with different cultures, I like to show my respect by dressing up in their traditional style of clothing (enclosed are a few examples of my trips to India, Vietnam and Azerbaijan, etc.). No one asked me to do it. I just do it out of respect. {I clearly never said anything about Iran}”

Exactly. No one asked. Iran is demanding (at least as I understand it). It would be so different in my eyes if Iran had asked rather than demanded.

Susan, thank you for explaining a little bit more about the process, correcting those reports, and clarifying your position. FIDE delegates from every federation should be ashamed of their vote. Choosing Iran for the Women’s World Championship (even when it was the only country offering to organize the event) resembles the decision to hold the 1936 Olympic games in Hitler’s Germany. Back them there was also a call for a boycott of the Olympics based on what we today label human rights abuses. Most women in Iran didn’t wear the hijab in 1978 (just look at the pictures before the Islamic revolution) and its used was imposed by a totalitarian, fascist, religious regime in the same way that most Germans ended up wearing the Svastika and hailing Hitler. Would you also consider not raising your voice against an event that required players to wear a Svastika just because it became part of the host country identity and culture? So I must agree with Alice Bullard statements. We understand that the responsibility (and blame!) lies with FIDE, but the question is, why the Commission for Women’s Chess (WOM) has not taken any official position? From my former colleague at BU: “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” – Elie Wiesel. Thanks for your continuous devotion to our beautiful game!

WOM represents all women. We contacted the players and asked where they stand. As of right now, only one decided to boycott. As far as I know, the other 63 decided to play. Most have stated their wish to separate chess and politics. Many of them have issues with Russia, China, Cuba, as well as the US. So if they boycott one, should they boycott other countries as well? Many have expressed similar sentiment.

Thanks for your reply. You make a good point. If most players don’t have any issue with being forced to adopt an islamic fundamentalist dress code, which is a symbol of women oppression and submission to men, then WOM is tied to their (in my opinion absurd) decision (I did signed Nazi Paikidze-Barnes petition though). But I don’t think is a matter of “politics.” The key point is, I think, that a host country should respect the diversity of cultures of a multinational, multi religious event like the Women’s World Championship and neither Russia, nor China, nor Cuba would impose anything similar to what the Islamist Iranian regime is demanding. I also wondered, is there any Israeli player participating?

No Israeli player qualified. BTW, WOM does not have an issue with Ms. Paikidze’s boycott. We support her right to do so. However, there is a problem with the way how she did it. She publicly said on September 29 that she did file an official complaint to WOM and FIDE. FIDE received her complaint (via email) on October 5. WOM never received anything from her. She chose to bypass FIDE, WOM, and the Organizers and decided to team up with people who have done nothing for women’s chess. In fact, some of the people she teamed up with are the biggest sexists in the world of chess. There is absolutely no communication between Ms. Paidkidze and WOM. Many fellow women players who qualified for the Women’s World Championship voiced out their frustration and anger toward the way how Ms. Paikidze handled this matter. I, on behalf of WOM, cannot take sides. Our job is to represent the interest of all players.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond Susan, I hope that in the future, both WOM and FIDE, will establish more stringent criteria for countries offering to organize FIDE official events. And thank you again for everything you have done to promote our game.